Author Topic: I could have commuted in today but... (Read 100607 times)

CrinklyLion · « **Reply #375 on:** 27 November, 2012, 06:51:30 pm »

I _still_ haven't fixed the slow at the rear, and just couldn't be arsed. Plus New Tuesday has really really really easy buses.

TimO · « **Reply #376 on:** 27 November, 2012, 08:11:37 pm »

... but I had to hang around awaiting a delivery of cat stuff. I'm glad I did, because even though I arranged for the delivery to use ParcelForce rather than Yodel, this still means it gets dropped at a localish Post Office, two miles away. Picking up these two boxes with the trailer would have been possible, but hard work, I actually had to unpack one on the doorstep, because that was easier than trying to pick the entire box up, and get it over the handlebars of the bike in the hallway!

There's still a third box in the system, which somehow got separated from the other two, so there's a good chance I'll have to pick that one up. Until today's delivery turned up, it was a possibility that all three packages would appear (on the basis that the tracking had lost it, but not the delivery company), and lugging that lot back on the trailer would have been damned near impossible!

Feanor · « **Reply #377 on:** 27 November, 2012, 09:48:27 pm »

Attack of CBA when I got up at 5:00 this morning, and it was pissing down.
But took the bike in the car.
Things cheered up during the day, and I rode home.

However, I'm now comitted to a ride in tomorrow ( car left at work! ).
And although it's 3 degrees outside at the moment, the stuff falling from the sky is frozen.
Meh.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #378 on:** 28 November, 2012, 08:44:56 am »

Rear tyre was flat

So I removed wheel, checked for debris, thorns. Couldn't find any but did realise that the tire was absolutely threadbare. Remove tube, find hole. Get out patches and glue - glue has evaporated from tube. Look for spare innertube, contemplate riding to Leeds on threadbare tyre with no spare tube and no way of patching a puncture.

Catch train.

geoff · « **Reply #379 on:** 30 November, 2012, 02:27:17 pm »

t'were too icey-dicey

regretted it of course...result was an hour + 40 minutes to cover *8* miles!

I'm not looking forward to the return leg

CrinklyLion · « **Reply #380 on:** 30 November, 2012, 06:13:54 pm »

I negotiated a later start and finish with this week's Friday site. So that Granny Annie could come round and collect me in her car, and then when we got to school I could push her and her oxygen bottle in the wheelchair round from the car park and into school and up in the lift to the upstairs hall in time for Celebration Assembly in which the SmallestCub was presented with a Headteacher's Award for his progress in reading - and nearly burst with pride when he showed off the book he'd chosen, and grinned from ear to ear when he spotted me and Granny, since I hadn't told him we'd be there. Then she gave me a lift out to the village I was working in. Worth missing a commute for - especially given how icy it was out there!

RJ · « **Reply #381 on:** 30 November, 2012, 07:10:05 pm »

I've been on study leave all week. Now the roads are all salty, I need to sort out the winter bike (disposable chain; new front gear cable) for Monday.

velosam · « **Reply #382 on:** 03 December, 2012, 08:28:59 pm »

Meeting first thing and last thing, so gave it a miss.

Will do so tomorrow though, I want to see if my bar fettling has worked.

Morrisette · « **Reply #383 on:** 04 December, 2012, 05:21:58 pm »

ICE. Bah. No riding for me with the council's new 'austerity gritting' (i.e they don't actually do any). Roll on spring, or at least a thaw.

TheLurker · « **Reply #384 on:** 04 December, 2012, 09:02:58 pm »

I would have ridden in tomorrow, but forecast is for nought celsius + rain at going in time and I'm not prepared to risk pranging my cranky old grid. It's jolly annoying as at coming back time it's going to be nice (for the time year). So I'm getting my grump in now.

matthew · « **Reply #385 on:** 05 December, 2012, 09:36:34 am »

The winter tyres have yet to arrive, shame as instead I spent an hour (I could have ridden to the office in that time) stood on the platform waiting for the train that was delayed by slippery lines.

GothonaBrompton · « **Reply #386 on:** 05 December, 2012, 01:56:21 pm »

hello again matthew!

Wish I hadn't bothered - my boss is overseas all week and 90% of my job can be done from home. If it looks dodgy tomorrow morning, I'll do just that. Boss doesn't arrive back in the UK until Friday late evening.

I've worked out how to divert my desk phone to my work mobile, so given the trains are down to half strength, I'll be leaving early, and on the tube.

Martin 14 · « **Reply #387 on:** 05 December, 2012, 07:56:16 pm »

I could have riden today but didn't, 1/ its 23 miles, 2/ it was blowing a blizzard, 3/ I cycle for pleasure not pain

Andrij · « **Reply #388 on:** 13 December, 2012, 09:55:19 am »

Just too tired.

RJ · « **Reply #389 on:** 13 December, 2012, 08:37:59 pm »

Quote from: RJ on 30 November, 2012, 07:10:05 pm

I've been on study leave all week. Now the roads are all salty, I need to sort out the winter bike (disposable chain; new front gear cable) for Monday.

Then it got icy. Bus ~£3/day => 18 ice days = 1 pair Schwalbe Snow Studs (Spa Cycles); 29 ice days = 1 pair Marathon Winters (Chain Reaction) $:-\$

I'm basically getting gunshy ...

CrinklyLion · « **Reply #390 on:** 13 December, 2012, 08:57:48 pm »

Yeah... I looked out of the door, saw the ice, put the bike away and walked the 2 miles in this morning. Too chicken.

RJ · « **Reply #391 on:** 13 December, 2012, 09:33:43 pm »

I wish my alternative were a 2-mile walk. OK, it is if I'm library-working, but usually I've got an hour on the bus (not to mention waiting for it), driver in shirt-sleeves, heating cranked up to 11, and the rest of us knees round our ears and melting inot our boots

OTOH, I know from experience that it only takes the tiniest bit of black ice, or half a car-roof's-worth of snow at the critical bit of a smart right turn across traffic to dump you in a sprawling heap in teh middle of the road. That's the moment you've lost Control and it's scary because your safety depends entirely on the unknown abilities and awareness of a bunch of strangers in charge of fast-moving lumps of metal ...

Dr RJ (contrary to occasional appearance) doesn't want me coming home in a box. Still, I may float the idea of punting £50 on winter tyres (German quality, natch

), largely on the grounds that being able to cycle more often at this time of year might make me a bit less effing grumpy ...

Ho hum.

CrinklyLion · « **Reply #392 on:** 13 December, 2012, 09:49:13 pm »

Probably would have been better if I'd realised sooner I was going to chicken out tho. Half an hour early turned into 10 minutes late in the blink of an eye!

SteveC · « **Reply #393 on:** 15 January, 2013, 07:41:27 am »

I'm being a wuss today. The ice on the patio table doesn't bode well, considering the amount of water we've had all over the roads recently.
I shall have to dig out my swimming stuff instead. When was the last time I was in the pool. This is going to hurt!

SteveC · « **Reply #394 on:** 15 January, 2013, 08:45:49 am »

Right call. Black ice in the village square made for some very interesting steering in the car. I would have been off if I'd hit that on the bike.

clarion · « **Reply #395 on:** 15 January, 2013, 08:57:59 am »

Safe is good.

matthew · « **Reply #396 on:** 15 January, 2013, 09:43:02 am »

The garage door was obstructed by fathers car, itself obstructed by the bins awaiting collection. Normally the bins are behind the other shorter car, but dad wasn't commuting today either. I shall struggle if the trains go wrong later.

Ham · « **Reply #397 on:** 15 January, 2013, 10:18:41 am »

Quote from: SteveC on 15 January, 2013, 07:41:27 am

I'm being a wuss today. The ice on the patio table doesn't bode well, considering the amount of water we've had all over the roads recently.
I shall have to dig out my swimming stuff instead. When was the last time I was in the pool. This is going to hurt!

My suggestion: break the ice BEFORE you jump in, it will hurt less.

interzen · « **Reply #398 on:** 15 January, 2013, 10:27:44 am »

... after the second 'off' and the destruction of £70 worth of cycling shorts¹ I decided that a) discretion is the only part of valour and b) there's nothing big or clever about a broken pelvis and bailed at the top of the village.

The roads weren't too bad, but the cycle tracks and paths were in appalling condition, not helped by a partial thaw last night followed by refreezing. Not even Comically Fat^TM tyres at stupid low pressure are any good on black ice.

¹ - Ice can be quite sharp. It's also cold.

tom_e · « **Reply #399 on:** 15 January, 2013, 11:40:57 am »

It's good of you to check these things for us, though. Glad you limited the damage.

Pity ice and snow appear to want different tools for the job really.